Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-25
SAVED BY A MADMAN.
fFor the Dlspatch.l


residence, and when one morning in
the spring Of 1870 | found myself a
citizen OF tie pretty little village OF
Elmonte / felt some misgivings RS to
the extent OF the magnetism inherent
in the bronze letters Paul Galenus, "
making proclamation for me from a
shod-iron disc over the porch OF my
new home.
My wife, pessimistic 10y nature and
imblbing from the influence of her dis
case a tendency 10 deepen more and
more the shadows in LIES outlook, had
been quite averee TO accepting my YER
dict asto the locality l had chosen, re-
naming blind to al climatic and other
recommendations and Sc ing only the
fact that about ten years before, in
casually passing through this some vii
lagc. ! had been murderously assault
Cd and but narrowly escaped the full in
tcuton Of my desperate assailant. 1t
maticTCd not TO her that the party %
whom I was indebted for this unwel-
como visitation had long since met his
doom, NC were crcdibly informed, in
the mines Of Australia. Tho incident
had invested the place with the at
mosphcre OF fatality, so she maintain
Cd. and, laugh as | would at her fore
holdings. She had always an ominous
shake Of the head to Offset my indife-
renee If danger.
Calamitous as might have proved the
incident which now awakened my
vitc's misgvings, il is not certain that,
uuiu'uenccd by her retrospect, ] would
have been impellod 10 revert to the mat
ter at all. Upon the occasion Of her
latest reminder, however, | 50 far in
vaJc1 oblivion as to drag my old enemy
from his scclusion and put HIM in the
foreground Of my revere, 10 have his
face rellnmcd 10y the intermittent glow
Of NY evening cigar.
Sampson Hardy had been suitor for
NY SISTERS hand. OF fine presence,
,ycouiouM mental culture, abundant
means. and approved lineage, he was
accounted the equal of the best, aud
vlenlt became known among my sis
t,r- friends that she had refused him,
20 rr,at was their astOnishment that
some ~ them went 30 far as TO say that
sLtuas cont OF her head" Az for
myself. I was qnite inclined ut the out
ST To- a halfway approval Of this YER
diet. and IN the first flush OF my sur
Irsc went to her and gave full eX-
D. s>iou myfeelings. Calmly, and yet
with some show Of the effort it had cost
ler 10 make the decision she had, my
sister rccited to me the evidences Of
Sampson Hordy's ungoyernabe tenn
pr and revived, little 10y little. nay
memory Of the Cutbursts of passion /
Dad seen him exhibit during orr last
torn nj school together. While thus
influenced to acquit her Of any unw.s-
dom IN her decision, | nevertheless
urged her to weigh il well before
making il final. insisting that if she felt
am interest equal 10 the emergency, sic !
might bc the means Of bringing about |
his conquest over this one great fault |
and lead bin 70 the achievement of all !
responsibilities 81 his otherwise noble |
nature.
IL lave considered al this" she re- !
piled. "but Lave no assurance that |
possess power equal t. the demand. |
HE doubt. pic'uruE 20 me as it does
the alternative of q blasted life deters /
re from following the Impulse that is
S. strong in bis behalf. 1t may seem
1l,loa,ull in woman 10 resist this
opportunity 10 practice devotion, bat /
c.u assure yo1, rs / have assured Mr.
Hardy. that Gre uttcrlncc of 60 IN .
tbs u,ir ucy las been possible only
tlf.rrl tyIsnnous suborIiulton Of .
l.,o tn sober reason.
every we'll sister" I replied, al
y,rr W n.,t stands approved on
sober reelection / viii say nothing
further 10 influence you. Being con-
vto.d there is q doubt, aud that that
doubt I- iull of mepsce to your happi-
l,s-. J continued opening the door
ii concluding SO ! stepped upon the
porch, 81 sro0ii not h0ca him uH},r
nF circumstance"
sampson Hardy, standing in the
lalt of the powered yer3nda, heard /
those final words. They burned their
way into his proud MIXTURE and kindicd
There the fire Of a conviction that had .
r.r,mptouly directed my sister to say
ti. word that had cxtinguished the
brightest hope Of his life. They charred
lie reason. and. gaining fury as they
were famed 10y the growing intensity /
az his passion, they drove him before
tlcm-8s Wild beast is driven before
prairie fre-uutil their power was
consumed in the white heat that sig
nailed his cruel blow at my life.
The shot that laid me senseless on
tie wooded pike leading from Eli
mortc-at which place my sister was
then passing the summer-had not been
fred without toyoring conditions, re-
vcaling To me the face of man in am
bush. Az my horse turned bend in
the road. tie htelv-riscn moon Shot
CLEAN of silver into the brush on my
left. and between that and the pistol
fash which doomed me tounconscious-
rct> there had been interval enough for
me o. recognize the almost livld fea-
tmDs Of Sampson Hardy. When, after
many days, / returned from my trance
AZ death. and met the anxious eyes OF
NY sister looking down upon me, there
was Elected there 50 strong an lntui-
ton ~ the truth, and, blended with It.
fo pitoous an appeal to be spared the
convincing proof that while | believed
flat She conceived the truth, / never
lv word revealed it to her.
She died within a year, poor girl
Tie double sorrow Of that Hay proved
too much for her, and from that time
On the gassts on the graves in the Vt
To- churchyard seemed like the fingers
q death reckoning herto theirclutches
Very few people suspected Hardy OF
tue attempt upon my life. Hewas not q
resident Of Elmonte, and his disappear
arce the next day did not appearto eX-
cite any special estion, and when,
fimultsneons with the somehow diilu-
sion Of the knowledge that my sister
had discarded him there came inteli-
geuce Of his having gone to Australia,
his departure was attributed 10 desire
10 sever himself from the scene OF his
humiliation.
Such was my review OF the striking
events Of ten years ago ; such were the
features OF remembrance with which
Elmonte was associated in my mind.
and vet. with no reason for being I'M
conscious Of this presentment, / had
actually decided 10 take mp my abode
81 the very midst Of these suggestions.
Was there not, after all, some excuse
for the horror with which my wife con